I think that a repeating table header or footer is optional and independent of the other. If at least one of those is defined, I've read somewhere that the related body tag is implicit if there is only one such body grouping. It is possible to have more than one of these body groupings -- I guess when different tag attributes are desired for each. I would think that good coding practice makes an implicit body tag explicit instead in order to increase code readability. Perhaps this is also necessary in valid XHTML as opposed to HTML.
Regards,
Jamal
-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Becker, Klaus (LNG-MUE)
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 8:03 AM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Question about tables
Hello,
maybe my posting belongs to another group (-> xhtml). But it has also a
reference to WCAG-Guidelines.
Ok, I have a question about the use of the elements THEAD, TBODY and TFOOT.
In the xhtml-dtd the element TABLE is described as followed:
<!ELEMENT table
(caption?, (col*|colgroup*), thead?, tfoot?, (tbody+|tr+))>
In my opinion, none of the elements THEAD, TBODY and TFOOT dependent on
another element. I can use every element as "stand alone" element. On some
websites (for example: w3c-schools -> xhtml) it is said, that every element
of those three elements is used with each other of those three elements: The
three Elements can only be used all together and not "stand alone".
But:
In the document "HTML Techniques for WCAG 2.0" explainded the use of those
elements as followed:
> Use thead to group repeated table headers, tfoot for
> repeated table footers, and tbody for other groups of rows.
There is no talk about a reference between those elements.
What is the correct use of the elements THEAD, TBODY and TFOOT?
Mit freundlichen GrÃ¼Ãen / Kind regards
Klaus Becker - Senior Developer
LexisNexis Deutschland GmbH
http://www.lexisnexis.de
Feldstiege 100
D-48161 MÃ¼nster
phone +49 (0) 2533-9300-458
fax +49 (0) 2533-9300-50
klaus.becker@lexisnexis.de